


Dance the Steps Given

by magequeen2020



Series: Dancing to Mythal's Music [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Ancient Elves (Dragon Age), Angst and Feels, F/M, Memory Alteration, Modern Girl in Thedas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2018-12-05 10:38:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11576373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magequeen2020/pseuds/magequeen2020
Summary: Usual Disclaimers - Missy is mine, Bioware owns DA and all characters from game, I just play here.Also this is my first fanfic so I'm trying to see how it all works out.  This is a modern girl in Thedas, why not right?  I'm going to try and post weekly.





	1. Meanwhile on Earth

“Missy, wake up. It’s time for breakfast.” Missy rolled over and pulled her covers over her head.

“Ten more minutes.” She grumbled. Sharon just laughed at her.

“You’re the one with the job interview Missy. You need the job remember?”

“Alright.” Missy got up and made her way to the kitchen of their little apartment. Sharon was the consummate mother hen, she had been Missy’s friend ever since she could remember and it had seemed natural to move in together when they had gone off to Chicago from their little town in Illinois three years ago. Sharon was an up and coming advertising consultant for a large advertising firm. Missy was on the summer break from her work at the University of Chicago, where she was studying music.

The phone rang just as she was finishing eating so she grabbed it. Sharon was getting ready for work, and then Missy would have to get ready for her interview. Sharon came back out just as she hung up. She took one look at Missy’s face. “What is it?”

“They filled the position yesterday, and they only needed one waitress, so they told me not to bother coming in for my interview today.” She didn’t want to cry. It just seemed as if the bad luck had piled up on her.

“Oh hun,” Sharon came and put an arm around her. “There will be other jobs.”

“Yeah, I'm not having luck with that other jobs thing right now.” Missy didn’t often give into self-pity, she had many hardships over her short life, but it seemed lately that nothing had gone right.

“Tell you what, take the day, relax, take a shower, go for a walk, or play video games. Just make it a you day.”

“I make everyday a me day, that’s the problem.” Missy frowned. “But you need to go catch the train or you’re going to be late.” She practically pushed Sharon out the door.

Once Sharon had left, Missy was at odds what to do. She decided to at least get ready in case she wanted to go out, so she took a shower and got dressed in some comfortable jeans and a plain white t-shirt. She put her wet hair in a plain braid to keep it out of her face.  

She went into the kitchen to grab another cup of coffee.  Then mug in hand she went into their dining room area where her computer was sitting.  She started up her Dragon Age game, it was an addiction she knew, but this time she was playing a male human so that she could see the romance with Cassandra.  She had left off in the Fallow Mire and she would love to get through a chunk of it. She was just settling in and killing stuff when she heard a loud bang from her bedroom that actually shook the floor. She got up to see what it was that had happened, thinking something must have just been jostled on her bookshelf and fallen.   When she opened the door to the bedroom, all her books looked like they had been blown off the bookshelf against the outside wall, save one, an old family album. She went to start picking up the mess, when another blast hit her and she was thrown back. The last thing she heard before she lost consciousness was a voice, saying: “It’s time to come home.”

She woke up with a pounding headache, but that soon became the least of her worries. “What the hell?” She was in some kind of rocky area with spiky mountains around her, but that wasn’t what made her uneasy, it was the green of the sky, the green haze around her, and not a pretty green but a malevolent green.

She heard a groan to her left and looked over. Someone else was laying on the ground not far from her. She made her way over to him. “Hey are you ok?”

The guy started to try and stand up so she helped him. He was taller than her by a few inches, but she managed to help him to his feet. He was good looking in a rugged sort of way, and wearing strange clothes had looked part cloth, part leather and part metal of some kind. She got him standing and he seemed to start to come to his senses.

“Uggh. Someone get me the Druffalo that hit me.” He grumbled.

Missy looked around, and then realized where she was. "Oh no no no. This isn't happening." She looked at the man next to her, and more specifically his hand which had a green gash in it. He held up looking at it as well.

"Well that's different." He looked at her then again. “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?”

She frowned at his question. “I'm hoping this is a dream, and that I'm going to wake up, definately not here."

He shook his head at that. “Do you know where we are?”

"Um I believe we are in the fade. Which is impossible by the way.” She grimaced at the pain in her head. "It's impossible. I was in my room at home." She repeated, more to herself this time.

“I was….” He broke off. “I don’t remember what I was doing before.”

She was about to reply when they heard the skitter of feet on the stone coming toward them. She looked over where it was coming from and screamed. Some of the largest spiders she had ever seen were coming straight at them.

The guy grabbed her hand and started pulling her in the direction of some very steep stairs up one of the sides of a cliff. “This way.”

She followed immediately and scrambled after him, they were nearly to the top when Divine Justinia reached out to them. “Hurry”

They made it to the Divine, but the spiders were coming. “You must go back and warn the others.” She was looking mainly at the guy and she even grabbed the guy's arm and pushed him towards the light that was there. He in turn pulled Missy with him. They fell rather then ran through the glowing green lite and then hit the ground. Missy saw feet coming towards them and then she blacked out again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns DA and I own Missy.
> 
> Missy is putting together the fact that this is real and she "meets" her favorite love/hate elf.  
> I know I said weekly but have this one early. Thank you for the kudos <3

More pain, at least that was her first thought when she woke up again. She kept her eyes closed and slowly tried to crack one open to look around a bit. At least the lighting where she was laying was dim. It appeared to be some kind of a jail cell. She tried to remember how she got there and then some of what had happened came back to her, the fade, the guy, the Divine. She closed her eyes and groaned. This couldn’t be real. How could this be real? But the pain she felt told her this was definately real.  She opened her eyes again and looked around. There was stone to her back and to her right and bars holding doors in front of her, like the atypical jail cell.

Slowly she sat up, hoping that the pain in her head would not increase too dramatically if she did so. It seemed to stay at a steady throb so she took that as a good sign. Putting her feet gently on the ground she realized two things, the floors had straw or some kind of grass on them, and she was barefoot. She often walked barefoot around the apartment, so she had obviously not had shoes on when whatever happened, happened. She was a firm believer in shoes and did not enjoy the feel of the straw or whatever it was under her feet. However, she could not do anything about being barefoot, there were no shoes or boots sitting near her, so she decided to forge ahead. Taking a deep breath, she very gently put her feet down onto the straw covered floor. She jerked back as a piece of straw decided to jab her in her arch, but she bit her lip and tried again to ease them onto the floor, to prevent more harsh surprises. Once she had successfully put her feet on the floor, she then tried to sit on the edge of her cot normally. She was surprised at how much effort it took just to sit up. She sat there just breathing in and out for a few minutes.

She waited a few more minutes until she was convinced her head wasn’t going to explode at this time and she felt like her breath was back to normal, she looked down at herself and took inventory of her clothes. Her jeans were mostly intact, they appeared to be dirty but they had not gotten any holes in them. Her t-shirt had seen better days, it wasn’t ripped but where it wasn’t tucked into her jeans it was no longer white. It had dirt marks everywhere, from what she could tell in the dim light. But at least it too had not ripped to shreds. Her hair seemed to be holding up in its braid there was some loose strands and… She patted her hair by her ears again, and she could feel tips that were pointy instead of her normal round ears. She groaned again, of course she wouldn’t be human. She hardly ever played humans when there were elves or other races to play. So naturally whatever brought her here seems to have changed that about her too.

She decided that sitting was all fine but she wanted to see what was going on in the cell next door. She could tell there was someone in the cell next door from the noises coming from it. She slowly stood up, bending over with one hand on the cot until she was certain her legs could hold her. She slowly walked to the bars that separated her from the cell next door. She looked over the guy on the cot as best she could in the dim light. She could see the green light from his hand illuminating the walls around him. She didn’t envy the poor guy. She hoped he would succeed in the upcoming tribulations and become the Herald of Andraste. She had liked him in what little time they had talked in the fade. He had a blanket pulled up to his waste but otherwise was bare chested. Someone was bending over him and tending to him but she couldn’t tell in the dim light who it might be. There was a groan from the cot and a flash from the mark on his hand.

“He’s going to be alright isn’t he?” She asked the man tending to him.

“He may yet pull through, I think. For now the worst is almost over, he should wake soon.” He stood up and looked at her. Her eyes met his and she fell to her knees as her head burst with blinding pain and she cried out.

She heard him shouting for the guards, “Help me get her to the cot.” She felt herself being helped back up to a standing position. Whoever it was had gentle hands, her skin felt cooled by something. It felt soothing.

He and one of the guards helped get her back to her cot. Gently he lowered her down so that she could lay back against it with her head on the pillow, such as it was. He then moved his hands over her head and the pain seemed to dissipate some. “Did you hit your head when you fell, do you know?” He asked softly.

“I don’t remember.” She tried bringing her fingers up to wipe away the tears she could feel running down her cheek from the pain. Her hands were bound though, and her arms felt weak. He seemed to guess what her feeble motions were about because he gently wiped her face with a cloth he had with him. She had time to process the voice, it was definately familiar, and the voice from the game that she loved and hated in equal parts: Solas. She would recognize the source of her frustration from the game anywhere. But to hear it now and real in her cell was too much, and fresh tears started.

“I think you need more rest. Try and take it easy before standing again.” He spoke softly, but firmly. “Drink all of this.” He helped prop her up as he he held the bottle to her mouth. She tentatively took a sip of it, it tasted kind of minty. He then helped her to drink all of it down and then supported her as she lay back down, finally covering her with the blanket as she started to drift in an out of conciousness. Whatever was in the drink was working fast. She felt like she was floating.

He turned to the guard. “Go tell the Seeker that the prisoners are waking up.”

She started feebly at that, and he put a hand on her shoulder to keep her still. “Don’t worry, you can deal with the Seeker later, they want to question him first anyway. Get some more rest while you can.” It was only probably moments later that she finally succumbed to the sleep completely.

 

 

Solas POV

Solas took a moment to study the Dalish girl he had helped. He assumed she was Dalish at least because she had the Vallaslin. The man had borne his mark, which may have attributed to his surviving the blast, but this girl had fallen through the rift with him and she bore no mark of the magic on her. Where did she come into the picture he wondered? It was a puzzle he would have to work out later. He could hear the Seeker approaching and so he left her cell, nodding to the guard to lock it.

“Seeker Cassandra.” He greeted. “This prisoner woke up but had a head injury based on her reaction, so I have given her some medicine to help her. The other prisoner has not yet woken but I believe he will within the next hour.”

“Thank you Solas. Have you had any luck with his mark?”

“No just that it responds to the rift. When the rift expands, so does the mark. If we cannot find a way to stop the rift, it will kill him eventually. But it may also be able to close the rift. We should take the earliest available opportunity to get him to one of the smaller rifts to test my theory.”

“Understood. Go and get some food and rest.” The Seeker did not smile but she nodded at him in dismissal, which was better than when they had first met and she had threatened to kill him.  He nodded at her and started out of the dungeons.

“Take the prisoner to the cell at the end of the hall. Chain him to the chair, but be gentle, we don’t want him hurt. Let me know as soon as he wakes.” The seeker turned to leave as well, after giving a look at the unconscious girl. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure how to handle the Solas point of view, but I wanted to get in his brain a bit, hehe. Let me know if you think it works or doesn't work to break it out that way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bioware owns DA: I own Missy and I've decided to claim Max as well.
> 
> Will she get out of jail? Will she meet everyone's favorite egg? Read on for answers to these and other mysteries!

Missy had no idea how long she had been unconscious for, but when she awoke it seemed to be darker in the cells. She started to get up slowly again from the cot. She made it to sitting and her head actually felt normal. She took that as a good sign anyway. Although her next thought was that if she was still in the cells maybe it wasn’t such a good thing. There were definitely less people and guards down here then there had been earlier. Getting slowly up she walked back toward the cell next to hers and saw that it was empty. She had a feeling she was down here alone. Glancing toward the door of her cell she tried to angle her sight to see towards where the stairs would go up into the main part of the chantry, but she could only see dim light from that direction.

She glanced down by her door and saw that there was a tray of some kind that had a bowl of some kind of liquid and piece of bread. Her stomach let her know that she definitely wasn’t going to be picky about the food. She grabbed the tray and took it back to her cot to sit down. The liquid was cold and had congealed fat on top of it but Missy dipped the bread into it and did the best she could to eat it down. It didn’t take long for her to finish it. There was a flask on the tray, she drank what tasted like a watered down wine. When she had finished everything she put the tray back by the door and walked around the edges of her cell. It wasn’t very big, just the cot and a bit of room around it. She sat back down on the cot and put her back against the wall pulling her knees up to her chest.

Her hair was a complete and utter mess now, so she worked it out of the braid and tried to untangle some of it. It was tangled so badly, she sighed and braided it back the best she could. She felt so dirty she would give anything for a bath or shower. She wondered how long she had been down here.

They had to have stopped the breach for the time being by now. No one had come and gone in all the time she had awoken. “Great, this is awesome; I’m going to be forgotten down here.” The thought that it might be true brought fresh tears to her eyes. She was an elf and she didn’t have the mark, so where did that leave her? As a prisoner that was unimportant? Would they forget about her?

She pulled the thin blanket around herself. Her nails were cracked and chipped, the nail polish worn off most of them. She could feel she had scraped her knees when she bent them, and had some other minor bruises all over her body. She looked around at the prison as a whole, not just her own cell to find any more details that might be useful. She was surprised how well she could see for how dark it was. Normally she was blind at night, but she could see the bars on the cells across the hall from her and the light fixture hanging down from the stone ceiling. Basically nothing that she could break through to try and escape though, for someone with her limited skills at any rate. The thoughts of hopelessness were too much. She turned to lie back down and pulled the blanket over her and cried herself to sleep.

She woke the next morning to clanging of her tray from last night being removed and a new one with some more bread and another flask being left. “Hey,” She looked at the guard. He for his part just grunted and walked off, ignoring her. “Hey, what’s going on? Am I going to at least get a trial?” She tried to yell but her voice was hoarse from underuse and he was already on his way up the steps. She broke off a chunk of bread, she wasn’t sure if that was all she was going to get all day or if there would be more later, so she only ate a little, she was not yet fully hungry and she had gone days without eating before. 

She was starting to understand why they talked about prisoners going insane. The tedium and isolation was starting to get to her. A person could only sleep so much. She had no idea how long she had been down here. She didn’t know how long she slept after waking that first time and seeing the Herold with who she knew now to be Solas. He had given her a potion for her head, but it could have knocked her out for who knows how long.

She was so bored; she started trying to think of the best song to sing for the situation. She had always had a good singing voice, and she was alone so what harm was there in it. “I can recreate the prison scene from Spaceballs.” She giggled softly to herself, wondering if she was going mad. But then it came to her. She even knew how to tweak the words to this world, because she had thought of it once while listening to it playing the game. It was the song she sang as part of her audition to get into the music master program at her school. She hummed a bit of it to get her voice working, before starting in softly, with the Sound of Silence. It had been one of her favorite songs growing up, and she had listened to it repeatedly throughout high school.

She had finished the last note when she heard the voice from the cell door. “Who are you and how did you get here?” She tried to get a good look and see who it was talking to her, she had an idea from the voice, but to see the face would have confirmed it.  However they kept their face hidden in the shadows.

“My name is Missy, I don’t know how I got here.” There was no way she could talk about it without sounding crazy, and she wasn’t ready to give away her secrets, especially to the spymaster.

“You have no memory then of what happened before you fell out of the fade?” The voice she was almost certain was Leliana’s asked.

“I remember helping a man get up and steady on his feet and then we were being chased and this woman helped us, she told us to go through the portal and warn everyone. I don’t think she was able to make it through behind us though.”

“What about before, where are you from before you were in the fade, family, clan? And what clan has such strange clothing?”

Missy thought for a moment. She could tell the Lavellin background. What was the likelihood of them ever knowing she spoke true? If Lavellin had died at the conclave, they wouldn’t know she wasn’t her. The thought of that was discomforting though, what if Lavellin survived and could point out that she wasn’t. She thought perhaps vagueness was the best course of action. The clothing was a problem, she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, though the t-shirt was so dirty it didn’t look so much white as brown. The jeans were obviously different then clothing here. She hadn’t been wearing shoes or socks when she had been brought here.

“I don’t have a clan; I left them several months ago when they left Ferelden. We agreed to part ways. I have been wandering the Frostbacks for the last few months, avoiding the Avaar and shems. I was actually trying to leave this area because a bunch of mages and Templars were showing up, but I was curious as to what was going on because they weren't fighting.” She stopped to think for a moment and rubbed her forehead, trying to come up with a plausible reason for why she would have been near the explosion.

“I had found a small room in the mining tunnels where there was shelter, it overlooked the valleys and I could stay hidden. I was actually starting to think of it as home too. I found these clothes when my own got wet in the snow. They were in the cave, along with some blankets and other items. They might have belonged to the miners.” She took advantage of the fact that jeans were not tight anymore on her elvish figure to indicate that they weren’t hers originally. “That’s all I remember,” She hoped she sounded convincing enough. “If I would have known what was going to happen I would have ran in the opposite direction.” That last part at least was true; she would have left the apartment and not looked back if she knew what that blast was going to do to her. “Are you going to keep me here?” She tried to see the expression on the face of her questioner.

“The Herald wants you released, I see no reason for you to have to remain locked up, but before we release you, were you your clans first or second?” Missy frowned at the question.

“No I was just a hunter.” She didn’t feel like she had magic, how would she know she wondered? On the other hand she had done many archery tournaments growing up so she felt comfortable around a bow, though she would be out of practice. She wondered if that would matter. She hoped not.

The door was opened for her by the woman, who she now could see was indeed Leliana.

“Very well, come with me then.” Leliana backed up so that Missy could proceed her out of the cell.

She made her way toward the stairs into the main part of the chantry. They were making their way to the exit of the chantry when he appeared. The Herald was a human male, the same one she had been with in the fade. He looked at her then looked again.

“Hey, is this the one that helped me get back?” He glanced quickly at Leliana.

The Spymaster smiled at the herald. “It would appear so. I was just taking her to be outfitted and be assigned.”

“She’s been locked up since we got here? And you want to put her to work right away?” The man appeared angry on her behalf. “She obviously needs a bath and some proper clothes.”

He took her hand and smiled at her. “Come with me, my lady. I’ll see that you get a bath and are given proper armor.”

Missy was a little bit at a loss, she had not expected the Herald to care about her fate. They had only seen each other briefly in the fade after all before being taken prisoner. She assumed based on what she had heard that he had successfully gone and closed the rift. She was pulled out of her musings by his next sentence and actions. “See, you have her so frightened she can’t even talk.” He seemed to assume that settled things he led her out of the chantry.

She flinched as they entered the outside and the bright sunlight hurt her eyes. He stopped and gave her a moment to adjust. “Take your time.” He had is arm around her and just supported her as her eyes adjusted. Out of reflex she raised her hand to shield her eyes. When they had finally adjusted she looked around a bit.

“All better?” He smiled at her and she nodded. He then proceeded to lead her to his cabin, which is pretty much in the same layout as the game, down the steps to the side and up a small set of steps. It was at the edge of the town, against the outside wall. He brought her over to the fire burning in the fire place.

“Stay here, I’ll go fetch the bath and get you some proper clothes. Ah Solas, good, you can keep my guest company while I get stuff arranged for her to get cleaned up. She’s been stuck in the cells since we fell out of the fade.”

“Herald, I was simply…” The Herald cut him off with a quick, “Sorry, I’ll be right back, I need to get this done.”

He then left her alone with Solas of all people. Talk about embarrassing. She had played through Solavellen hell several times because he was her favorite. She stayed staring at the fire, mostly out of embarrassment.

“You are Dalish are you not?” He finally inquired, probably to break the silence more than anything.

“Yes.” It came out as almost a squeak. “I mean I guess so.”

“You do not know?” He seemed puzzled. It was easier to tell the lie when facing the fire and not looking at him.

“I left my clan several months ago. But I suppose that doesn’t stop me from being Dalish.”

“Interesting. Why did you leave?” His inquiry seemed polite but there was a slight edge under his words.

She had an aswer that she knew he would appreciate and since it was all made up why not go for something he could appreciate?

“I refused to bow to the creators, and my keeper, was very devout. She told me that if I wasn’t going to honor the traditions then I would be better leaving and not poisoning the minds of others.” She mentally patted herself on the back for how quickly the lies could come off her tongue. Wait, was that something she should be proud of?  “You are a city elf?” She inquired after glancing at him briefly. She knew that would likely not go over well with him but she couldn’t help the little jab, take that mister high and mighty.

“No, I have always been on my own studying magic and the fade. I’m surprised one of the Dalish would speak so harshly on the traditions of their people.”

“My mother was not one to hold tradition over logic. She and I were alone until I was about nine. Her own clan had told her to leave because she used to get visions. Then she was killed and I was found by the clan’s hunters. They took me in and raised me, but I was never comfortable there. I remembered my mother’s stories and insights.” Wow she was getting good at making up total BS. She would just have to remember this all. But it also planted the seeds for why maybe she could see events to come. She mentally patted herself on the back for coming up with that as well, two for two. He seemed to actually soften at that. At least his eyes lost some of the piercing look he had when he had first entered and she had glanced at them.

“Your mother sounds like a remarkable woman.” He responded after a few minutes.

“Thank you.” She replied. At that point the Herald returned followed by an armada of servants carrying a tub, and buckets of hot water. He put a pile of clothes on the bed, and when they had it all set up and the water poured in the tub, they put an assortment of soap items next to it, he closed the shutters so no one could see in the windows and then he came over to her.

“Take the bath, and get dressed. I’ll be outside the door if you need anything.”

“Thank you.” She nodded.

“Come on Solas, you can tell me about some of your adventures in the fade while wait for.” He turned and looked at her. “I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name?”

“Missy.” She replied, she had no idea if that was a good name or not, but she couldn’t come up with anything but the truth on that.

“I’m Max. Well come on Solas, let’s hear about some battles you’ve seen played out in the fade.” With that they left the cabin closing the door behind them.

She could hear them talking on the other side but she waited only a few moments before stripping out of her clothes. She leaned over the tub to try and catch her reflection. She looked similar to her human self, just a little leaner in her elf form. She had Mythal’s Valaslin on her cheeks but not on her forehead. It actually looked very minimalistic, which made her happy. That fit with her story about not being into the creators too much. Her hair and eyes were hers. She had always gotten compliments on her teal eyes, they were unusual in that they weren’t quite blue and they weren’t quite emerald green. Her long black hair hung just past her butt. It was that she focused on first, sinking into the tub and getting it all wet, then washing it with some soap. What she wouldn’t give for shampoo and conditioner. At least it was getting clean. She would have to comb through it thoroughly though. Once her hair was clean, she scrubbed the rest of herself down. The water was getting cool at that point, so she got out and dried off with the soft towel that had been left.

Then she started putting on the small clothes they had brought. The bottoms were easy, they looked like the basic bikini briefs without elastic, just ties on the side to tighten or loosen as needed. The breast band she just wrapped as best as she could figure out. Then she got the pants on, they were leather and cloth all in gray. The pants fit her fairly well, the ties had to be tightened a bit. She put the grey shirt on, it was basically like a normal shirt except it had hooks and eyes instead of buttons. Then she saw there was a leather overcoat that was almost duster length she put that on top. She wished she had a mirror. She hoped she had everything on ok. It seemed to work as far as what she had seen in the game. She fastened the hooks that were on the top of the duster the part that covered from her chest to her stomach, from there it just hung loose. Lastly she put the boots on they were lined with soft cloth, she supposed to replace socks. They came up to her knee but allowed movement. She threw her jeans and old tshirt and underwear in to the fire. They were all cotton so they would just burn. She didn’t want anyone to examine them too closely. When she had done that she looked around and found a comb. She started to comb her hair out.

She took a few moments to compose her thoughts.  As she had been looking into the fire she did make one decision. She would not play the meek and awed. She knew what was going to happen and she could use that information to help. She just needed to figure out how to do it. But being afraid wasn’t going to help. She was starting to think that perhaps she could make a difference here, if it was allowed. Still she knew that she would have to be careful around Solas.  Perhaps she would just play what she knew with him and then change what could be changed.  She had no illusions that it was going to be easy.  But someone had once told her that if it was easy someone else would do it.  

She decided she was as ready as she was ever goign to be to face what was coming.  So she went over the door and opened it to find Max and Solas in discussion about a battle in history. She hated to interrupt them.

“I’m done.” She went back in and sat in one of the chairs at the table and continued to work on her hair.

“Excellent,” Max came back in and opened the shutters to let in the sunlight. “Solas was just sharing with me the way the fade shows the history of Ostagar. Fascinating stuff.”

“I guess if you like battles.” She smiled at him. “Are battles fascinating?”

“History is fascinating. I wish I was a mage now so that I could go into the fade and see it.” Max sat on the edge of his bed facing her. “So what’s your story, how did you end up in that shithole with me?”

The inquiry was merely curious. Missy realized that Solas was there and that her actual truth would be too crazy for them to accept. She combed her hair some more before deciding it was probably as good as it was going to get. She set about starting to braid it.

“I don’t remember.” She decided to keep it simple.

“Ah me either. We’ll be blissfully oblivious together.” He smiled.

Of course he always seemed to be smiling. She finally finished braiding her hair and then realized she had no way to tie it. “Well, shit.” She frowned.

“Oh, let me go get you some hair ties. Solas, keep her company will you again?”

Solas just sighed. “Of course.”

“I don’t need a babysitter, Max.” She tried to protest but Max had already closed the door.

“I’m sorry to be taking up so much of your time.” She did feel bad; she knew that Solas liked to be on his own rather than social with everyone, at least that was how he was portrayed in the game, and yet his biggest fear was dying alone.  It was that combination that made her go through Solavellen hell.

“You are a hunter?” He asked her after a bit, it brough her back into the conversation.

“Yes, but, not a great one. I was not allowed to go on hunts with the clan; they wanted me to be the fetcher mostly. I did get to go on a hunt, so I could get my Valaslin, but that was about it. But I can shoot well enough to survive. It will take a lot of practice to get as good as my clan mates.” She hoped that would explain her lack of prowess with a bow when they eventually saw her use it.

“Fascinating.” Was his reply.

“So you are a mage? And you go into the fade to see history?” She knew if she could get him to talk about himself, it would mean less talk about her.

“Indeed. I have travelled deep into the fade to see the memories of battles, made friends with spirits and mysteries.” He did get animated, more than the game had shown when talking about the fade.

“So you were at the site of the battle of Ostagar?” She was curious what his perspective was. She knew how she had interpreted it in her 500 plus playthroughs.

“The fade is based on perception, so in some cases I saw a traitor general turn on his king. In other cases I saw a seasoned general refusing to throw away his men’s lives on a losing cause.” He sat down on the edge of Max’s bed to face her as he talked.

“So which one do you think is correct?” She was curious which he believed.

“It could be any of it. The fade is a matter of perception.” He answered with his canned answer but that didn’t really fit her question so she decided to go for it.

“But that wasn’t what I asked. I asked which one do _**you**_ think happened?” She met his piercing gaze directly.

“As I was not there to see the battle completely, I would be forced to concede that either possibility is likely.”

“So the fade can give ideas of what might have been but not necessarily what did happen?" She inquired, for understanding.

“I suppose that is one way to look at it. History is often a matter of perception isn’t it? Written by the victors?” He inquired.

“Perhaps, however if many different people from diverse areas concur the same conclusions about an event it’s more likely to be accurate. But I suppose also the further removed from an event one is, the more difficult it is for the truth to come out.” He was looking at her in a way that made her feel a bit uncomfortable, as if he was trying to probe into her brain.

“You bring up an interesting argument. I have to confess, I would not expect something like that from a Dalish. They only pass on stories that are distorted at best.” She almost laughed; he went on the attack with something that he thought would hurt her. Instead she was saved from responding by Max returning. He must have sensed a bit of tension in the air because he looked from her to Solas. But deciding to shake it off he gave her a few leather strips to use to tie her hair. She tied one and then put the others in a pouch on her belt. She stood up at that point.

“Alright so now what?” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cleaned up elvhan, a dreaded wolf and a Herald walk into a bar. Bartender says....
> 
> Bioware and I suppose EA own Dragon Age stuff, I own Max and Missy.

“All right so now what.” She had been very curious what was going to happen to her. She was obviously dressed in armor. So that meant that she would not be some serving girl in the tavern or worse.

“Well you clean up well.” Max whistled. She threw her comb at him. He ducked easily.  He had good reflexes anyway. “We leave for the Hinterlands tomorrow; I’m bringing Solas, Varric, Cassandra and you. You’ll meet Varric in a few minutes; he’s joining us at the tavern for lunch. I’ll let you have the pleasure of meeting Cassandra when we depart."

At the mention of food her stomach rumbled. She blushed in embarrassment.

“Well that makes our next step obvious. To the tavern for food!” Max took her hand and helped her up from the chair. “Will you be joining us Solas?” He inquired of the bald elf that was looking into his fireplace at something.

“Yes, I think I will.” Solas turned to them and followed them out into Haven.

Max tucked her hand into his arm, much like they were nobles just out for a stroll. People greeted him with respect, but there were hard looks for her. Nobody said anything as she was on his arm. But she had an uncomfortable feeling that if she was alone they would not be so reserved. She unconsciously moved closer to Max. He noticed and even though the smile never left his face she could feel him tense up as he looked around and realized how people were looking at her. He stopped when they came to the fence near the tavern, it was the most deserted part of their walk, and nobody was around.

“Solas we have a problem.” He looked back at the apostate.

“Indeed, it seems like the goodwill they extend to you as their Herald does not translate to our new friend here.” Solas nodded.

Missy remembered the walk that Max must have had to take when he first left the dungeons. She now knew what that must have felt like. She did not relish the idea of being alone in this strange land and she eased herself closer to Max and Solas.

Max must have felt her slight shudder because he smiled and moved in front of her, “I will not let them hurt you little sister.”

She managed a smile, though barely, “I’m not used to being hated on site. Usually there’s mistrust, suspicion yes, but never outright hatred.”

“We must be prepared that people will think she is at fault for the breach, since you obviously weren’t and she was the only other survivor.” Solas’ logic made total sense, if the people were still looking for a scapegoat for the explosion in their midst, she was a prime suspect.

“Perhaps I should leave.” She offered. “If I stay out of Haven then they won’t be reminded of the fact that someone is to blame and…” She didn’t know where she would go and it would be difficult to help if she wasn’t here. On the other hand she didn’t want to make things harder for the rest of the Inquisition.

“No, that would not be the wisest course of action.” She was surprised when Solas spoke up at her suggestion. “With you here with us, we can protect you. Out there on your own, there is the Mage/Templar war still ongoing and who knows how many are taking advantage of this chaos.”

"Solas has a point.” Max agreed. “We will need you to be where we can ensure you are safe.”

“Max, if I might, I have room in my cabin. I can ward it to help add to the protection. We would simply need to move a bed into the one room I’m not using for her to use.” He seemed sincere in his offer.

“That sounds like a reasonable plan Solas. Will that be ok with you little sister? I want you to feel safe.” He had put an arm around her shoulder.

She could honestly think of nothing more unnerving than sharing space with Solas. But it would be hard for her to argue against it, and it made sense from the perspective of keeping her safe. It would be hard for anyone to try and sneak into his cabin and she knew he was capable of protecting them.  Still she felt she ought to at least try and mount a protest against the idea of being put in a cabin with him.

“I don’t want to intrude on Solas’ space.”

“I assure you, it will be fine. I spend most nights in the fade anyway, and during the day, we are doing other things. Besides we leave tomorrow at dawn.”

“All right then.” She tried to put on a gracious smile, but her misgivings were too many to completely pull it off. Luckily they thought her downcast expression was due to the situation rather than sharing the cabin with Solas. Talk about being in bed with the devil. Or close enough.

“Great that’s settled, let’s get some food.” Max continued on into the tavern.

They entered the dimly lit tavern and he immediately made his way over to a table occupied by no other than Varric. She would recognize that chest anywhere.

“Flissa, three bowls of stew for my friends and I.” He called over to the barkeeper.

“Fixer, Chuckles.” Varric made room for them at the table, and then looked at her. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Varric Tethris, storyteller and tag along.”

“Missy.” She responded sitting down. She was next to Solas and across from Max and Varric.

“What’s your story?” He looked at her with a smile.

“Nothing interesting, I assure you.” She was spared from saying more by the arrival of stew, hers was set down in front of her hard, and some spilled over, but she ignored it. She was too hungry to hold a grudge.

“Andraste’s ass... Ok this ends now.” Max got up and walked to the door.

He turned before leaving. “Solas, Varric, keep her here.” He gave Solas a knowing look and Solas for his part moved a bit closer to her.  She prided herself on not flinching or jumping when she felt his arm brush against hers.  If she was this jumpy now how was she going to handle being alone in a cabin with him?   Deciding she was better off not following that train of thought, she put her focus on eating.   She wasn't sure what Max was going to do to try and fix this issue but she was grateful that at the very least he and Solas didn't believe the worst of her.  

Don't cry, she told herself, you don't want to feel weak. She focused on each spoonful instead which made it easier to pretend that nothing out of the ordinary was happening around her. She could feel Varric’s gaze on her, but Solas seemed to be ignoring the tension and was casually eating his stew.  To everyone around them it must have looked like a perfectly normal group eating lunch together.  

"What did I just miss Chuckles.” Varric spoke to Solas.

Solas took a moment to finish his current bite of stew.  “This is the one that came out of the rift with the Herald. And while people believe that the Herald was sent by Andraste to save us, they seem to believe she might have been guilty of the breach the same way they initially felt the Herald was guilty.  At least that’s our best guess without having someone come out and say it.”

“Well, shit.” He turned his gaze back to her she could tell from the corner of her eyes.  She continued to mechanically eat her food, one spoon after the other.  “How come I haven’t seen you before today?” He inquired.

“I was in the holding cells.” She finally responded taking a break from eating.  Her voice had control. Good it was working.

“Since they recovered the Herald?”

She finally looked at him with a small smile.  “Until today.” 

“No wonder you’re starving. That was a week ago.” Varric’s gaze held sympathy now.

“Ah, that explains why I’m so hungry.” She interjected some humor into her voice.

He laughed at that. “Yes, well go on and eat up.” She nodded and went back to her stew. It was good stew, with many vegetables in it. There seemed to be a meat of some kind in it, but she was so hungry she was not going to be picky at this point. She ate until she felt like she was full.  She didn't want to overdo it and get sick. Solas offered her a crust of bread, something she had not received, but didn’t notice until now. She took and said a quiet thank you. His small nod was the only indication that he heard it.

Varric not able to take the silence started telling them a story about his old Kirkwall gang. She listened attentively. She had always loved Varric and his stories so she settled in to listen. She did not mean to brush against Solas’ arm, and didn't realize she had until he stiffened a bit.  When she realized what she had done she could feel the blush that she knew must be on her cheeks.  For his part, Solas relaxed and he didn’t move away.  If Varric noticed any of the interaction between the two of them he didn't let on continuing his story without missing a beat.

 

*****

Chantry

“I want her treated like my sister and a respected member of the inquisition.” Max was in the war room venting to the council.

“We know nothing about her, all we know is she fell from the breach with you. She could have been the one to cause the explosion in the first place.” Cullin protested.

“She didn’t.” Max protested.

“How do you know? Herald with all respect, just because she’s a pretty face...”

Max cut him off. “That's not why I know. I know because I can feel it. Look, you guys now believe that I didn’t cause the breach. Even though when I first woke up you were accusing me. I’m asking you to give her the same benefit of the doubt.”

He ran his hand through his hair. “She’s just someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Did any of you fear her when you were questioning her?”

Leliana spoke up at this. “She was singing when I went to question her, better than most bards I know. And I did not recognize the song she sang. It was very somber.”

“She was locked up, she’s hardly going to be singing a song that’s cheerful.” Max retorted.

“You mistake me Herald, she was singing a song better than bards. How do we know she was not one sent to the conclave for nefarious reasons and she doesn’t have you fooled?”

“Look you guys trust Solas, what if I have him investigate the truth?” Max offered as a compromise.

“If Solas will vouch for her, then I will be satisfied.” Cassandra spoke up finally. “He has done everything he can to help.”

“We are leaving for the Hinterlands in the morning. I need a bed moved into Solas’ cabin she will be staying with him until we leave. That way he can see what he can find out and she will be safe from everyone.”

“Are you taking her with you? Is that wise?” This time it was Josephine that spoke up.

“Consider her my little sister. And I will protect her like an older brother would. She’s my only link to what might have happened, and I’m not about to forget that she went through the same thing I did. She just happened to be lucky enough to not have the mark.” He grimaced. “I’ll have more information when I get back, I’m sure. For now see to the bed. I’ll be taking her down to the training area to see what her skills are, just to be aware.”  He headed to the door to the main part of the chantry.

“Herald, it might be best if you took her out away from where the rest of the soldiers are training. But I don’t like the idea of you going out there with her alone.” Cullen advised.

“I will go with the Herald, and I’m sure Solas would accompany us.” Cassandra piped in again.

Max accepted her offer and walked out of the war room. Everyone dispersed back to what needed to be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wouldn't you like to have Max as an older brother?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does Missy have what it takes to be a member of the team? Will there be riots in Haven?
> 
> Just what is the layout of Solas' cabin?

Missy was watching Varric closely as he told his tale.  She could listen to his voice and stories all the time.  There was a reason why he was the main storyteller in the game.  His voice was soothing and he knew how to add the right flare at the right time when telling a story.  

In this particular instance e was talking about the time they had helped Merrill gather herbs on the Sundermount.  She remember playing Dragon Age 2 and her female Hawke had romanced Fenris and sided with the mages at the end.  She remembered the scenes between them, especially the kiss toward the end, fondly.

He just got to the part where they had been ambushed by Tal Vashoth mercenaries when Max walked back in to the Tavern.  He came back and sat with them and worked on finishing his stew. 

When he was done he stood up.  “Let’s go, we need to get you fitted for a bow and see what you can do.” 

Solas got up at his words and offered his hand for Missy to get off the bench as well.  Missy could feel the heat rising on her cheeks as she took his hand and got up.

“I think I’ll tag along if you don’t mind.” Varric got up as well.

“Sure, why not.”  Max shrugged and they walked out of the tavern.  He offered her his arm again, so she took it.  Solas and Varric falling into step behind them. 

They made their way down the steps and out the gates of Haven.  He kept her moving down by the lake away from where she knew the soldiers were practicing for Cullen.  Cassandra was already down where they were heading setting up some targets.  The came to an area that had some crates with a few bows leaned up against them.  Another crate past that held some arrows that had seen better days, probably to be used for practicing only.  Max walked her over to the crates as Cassandra walked up to them.

“Missy, this is Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast, right hand of the divine.”  Max introduced them.  Missy could only stare.  She was much more intimidating in person.  She didn't look mean, just like a serious drill sergeant.

“Um, pleased to meet you.” Missy finally managed to stammer out.

Cassandra only stared at her. Max finally took pity on her and directed her to the various bows that were available.

She could see that they had various levels of craftsmanship but as she picked each on up they just didn’t feel right until the second to last one, it was a lighter weight and it balanced well in her hands.  She took it and grabbed one of the quivers of arrows from the other crate.  She had spent four weeks one summer at a camp where she had learned to shoot, make her own bow from scratch including picking the tree to make it from and making arrows, they had to make 10 of them from scratch, they were given blanks for the rest of them.  So she at least wasn’t going to look stupid with a bow.  She could claim rustiness, perhaps.  But this would not be like the take your time, aim and shoot.  She knew from playing the game that speed was going to become important.  That would have to be her first priority.

She walked over and lined up her first shot to get the feel of the bow.  She pulled back aimed and took her shot.  She only missed the bullseye by one ring.  She felt pretty good about that.  Having pulled the bow and felt the tension on the string and what it took to pull on it gave her the confidence to continue.  She took 3 or four arrows out of the quiver at one time and jammed them into the snow next to her.  Then she tried going as fast as she could, she got 3 in the target area, which was generous but the second shot overshot the target.

“Ugh.”  She went to collect the arrows she had shot so far and tried to see if she could find the one that had overshot to see how bad it was.

Max was talking to Solas by Cassandra and Varric, as she looked for the arrow.  She hoped they weren't talking about her lack of skill.  She finally found it, and then looked at where it was in relation to the target. 

She started to make her way back to the group; she could see them still bunched together.  “Well I guess that’s not awful for not having to really do any major hunting for a few years.”

“How does a Dalish hunter not hunt for a few years?” This was from a very surprised Cassandra.

“Well when the keeper doesn’t want you to poison the minds of the other hunters, she makes you an errand runner.  I would be told to gather herbs or to help tend the Halla, apparently they can’t be poisoned by my not believing in the creators.”  She put enough mockery into her voice that Cassandra raised a brow at that.

"Does that mean you believe in the Maker?"  She had an actual hopeful expression on her face.

"I believe there is a Maker, whether it's the one Andrastian's are so fond of, that I couldn't tell you."  Actually Missy had never been big on the whole God thing.  But she didn't want to seem any more strange to the people here then she already did.  Look at the whole Elvhan pantheon as an example of how people can mistake powerful people for gods.

“You said you were apart from your clan for the last few months, how did you survive without hunting?”  Solas was the one that asked having listened to her story the most.  

She found it odd that he ignored her remarks about the creators and gods but was interested in such a mundane thing as her survivals skills.  Had they been talking about how much of a burden she would be on this trip when she was retrieving her arrows?

“I hunted.  But I only ever had to shoot one arrow.  I had time to aim and make sure I only needed one shot.  But I don’t think that any enemies that are attacking are going to wait for me to aim and shoot at them.  Plus I had my old bow for a long time, I was comfortable with it.  This one is still a bit stiff, but I imagine that will work itself out in time.

“Well keep practicing.  We have time yet.”  Max smiled encouragingly.

She shot another dozen rounds and by the end she was going at a fairly consistent speed and all her arrows were landing within a reasonable point of center.  It was getting dark now, so she gathered up her last round of arrows from the target.  As she started back toward the others when she noticed movement from the direction of Haven.  A group of soldiers was heading toward their group from the direction of the village.  She hurried as quickly as she could and stood next to Solas as they approached.  Cassandra had gone back up to do more training on her dummies after a few rounds, so it was just Max, Varric, Solas and her.

“Sir,” The lead soldier saluted Max.  Max for his part smiled but again it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Soldier, to what do we owe the pleasure.  I told Cullen to keep his people up top, while I get my group ready for the Hinterlands.”

“We’ve come for the knife ear.  She killed the divine, she should not be free.” He spoke as if he didn't think that Max would challenge his words.

“We don’t have anyone here by that title, but if you are referring to my sister, I would suggest you apologize.”  He pulled his sword out and had it at the soldier’s neck in the blink of any eye.  She had never seen a sword drawn so quickly.

“I don’t understand sir, she’s just an elf and she was in the rift with you.  She obviously was the one that killed the divine.”  He kept talking with the tip of the sword.  She would admire his bravery if she didn’t think it was fueled by alcohol.  She felt a cool rush over her, and realized Solas must have cast a barrier and Varric had Bianca out, not aimed at anyone yet, but ready.

“I am only going to explain this once, she did not kill the divine.” 

Solas took the opportunity to pipe in at that point.  “Whoever killed the divine was very powerful, she’s just a Dalish hunter, who isn’t even all that good at hunting.”

Ouch, talk about cutting to the quick.  Still the spirit of the matter was that he was attempting to help her with the situation and she could appreciate that.

“Can I point out that I wouldn't know the divine if I saw her?”  She thought that would help, but apparently it didn’t.  

 “You will pay for your lack of respect, elf.”  One of the other soldiers pulled his sword and made to move for her.

Solas grabbed her arm and the next thing she knew she was on the other side of the clearing.  He held her arm tightly and looked down at her with a frown.  “Stay quiet, that didn’t help.”

“Well obviously.  Wait how did I get here?”  She looked around

“We fade stepped. Focus on this issue; hopefully Max can get them talked down.”  There was a degree of worry in his voice.

Just then they heard footsteps pounding down the hill from where the training yard was.

“What is the meaning of this?” The seeker was accompanied by a tall blond man with furs on him. 

“Cassandra, Cullen, apparently some of your troops did not get the memo about my sister being under my protection.” 

Cullen rounded on his men.  “You are all confined to quarter until further notice.  Get out of here.”

He made to follow them when Max stopped him.  “Cullen, if I hear so much as a whisper about knife ear or rabbit or even elf said in a derogatory manner, whether it’s about my sister or any other person here, I will personally take that person out and flog them.  You had best make them aware of that straight away.”  Cullen nodded at Max before following the men up to the barracks.

“Cassandra, do you have two or maybe even 3 people that you trust, that could stand guard duty at Solas’ cabin tonight?  I trust Solas but if any of the ex-Templars get it into their heads that she is guilty of killing the Divine, I want someone there that can beat them with swords and other weapons.  Or at least hold them off long enough for Solas to get her out of there.”

Cassandra seemed to hesitate but then she nodded.  “I suppose it is better to be cautious.”

With that the Seeker walked away.  Max turned to them all.

“Let’s get her up to your cabin Solas.  I think its best we not try and eat at the tavern again.  I’ll get you guys food for the evening.  We’ll leave at dawn, hopefully it will be quiet enough that there won’t be any risk of any more trouble before we leave.” 

Missy grabbed one of the good quiver of arrows from the crate and put her practice arrows back. There was a hook on the back of the quiver that her bow would fit in.  She had always wondered at the mechanics of how the weapons would stay on.  Solas’ staff seemed to stay in place by magic.  Max wore his sword at his belt with a normal scabbard and Varric had a special hook on his bolt quiver for Bianca.  It took her a couple of tries to get it on her hook right but she finally managed to hook it and then start walking.  They surrounded her, Max to her right, Solas to the left and Varric just behind.

They got back to Solas’ cabin taking the more quiet side route, and only ran into a few people, most of whom avoided looking at the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the cabin layout and other secrets, next chapter. Which will be late because I will be gone for a full 9 days. Next post probably won't be until 8/17 or 18


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weee! The inside of Solas cabin, and what happens when you try and drug a modern girl into divulging secrets?

They walked into his cabin and Solas quickly showed her where her room would be. It wasn’t very big, especially with a bed there was just enough room for the bed and trunk and place to walk. There was no window but that was probably for the best. She put her bow and quiver down on the bed for now and went back into the main room.

He had a small table with a couple of chairs, and then another couple of nicer stuffed chairs by the fireplace. Varric had left to go back to the tavern. He said something about spreading word about how innocent she was. Perhaps people would listen; he was a good talker after all.

“I’m going to go get some stew and bread for us to eat. I’ll be back shortly.” Max left them with those words to go down to the tavern.

That left Solas and her alone in the cabin. It was chilly, as the fire had not been lit now for some time. She set about adding wood from the pile into the fireplace. She was looking around for something to light it when Solas approached her from behind and reached around her to light it with a snap of his fingers. In doing so his front brushed against her back, causing a different kind of shiver to run down her back.  

“I forget that you have magic at your disposal, so why bother with something so mundane as a physical way of lighting it.” She laughed.

“Indeed, why bother.” He smiled briefly at her. “Why don’t you sit down, I doubt we will have too long of a wait before the Herald gets back here. May I get you a glass of wine for now?”

“Yes, thank you.” Missy’s throat suddenly felt dry and the wine would be most welcome. Actually any drink would be welcome at this point. She took the glass he offered her and took a sip. It was a sweet wine, which suited her well, as she did not typically like dry wines.

They settled into comfortable silence waiting for Max to come back with their food. He didn’t disappoint, coming back after several minutes with a basket. He set it down by them and then plopped down on the floor between them. He quickly dished up three bowls and tore the bread three ways. They ate quickly, with Max making small talk.

When they had finished, Max made to leave.  “We have a long day in front of us tomorrow and we all need to get some sleep to be ready for it.”

With Max gone, Missy realized she was now alone with Solas. As in no one around to act as a buffer, so she did what any rational girl would do in the situation. She focused on the fire and her wine and tried to fight the blush she thought she could feel on her cheeks. It suddenly felt really warm in there. Solas, for his part also seemed to be contemplating the fire as well.

She wasn't prepared when he turned toward her suddenly. “Your clan, what was the name of it again?”

Shit, had she said the clan name? She couldn’t remember, but something was compelled her to blurt out. “Lavellen.”

She put her hand over her mouth, shocked and dismayed, she remembered she specifically hadn’t wanted to use that name, just in case.

“I see, interesting.” He got up and came over to her. “More wine?”

“Yes please.” She really shouldn’t she could feel the warmth and buzzy sensation. She was not used to drinking and the wine must have a pretty high alcohol content to get to her this fast. He poured them both another glass and brought hers back to her. She took another quick gulp and tried to ignore the sensation of the buzz that she was really starting to feel now.

“When did you come to the conclave?” He asked with an almost bored tone. It was a different question then had been asked of her before. It took her a moment to think about what he meant.

“I didn’t” She hadn’t come to the conclave at all. It had already been destroyed when she was pushed through the fade.

He seemed to be dissatisfied with that answer so he got up and came over and knelt in front of her chair. He was so close she could see the sprinkling of freckles on his face. Missy couldn’t help it, she started to giggle, and then it turned into full on laughter. Solas looked at her in puzzlement, she could tell he thought she might be losing her mind.

“Your freckles. Everyone dreams about your freckles.” The words made her go back into hysterical laughter again. “Sara thinks you’re an elfy elf, but she’s got freckles too. I should point it out to her that you both have them.”

“Who is Sara?” Solas asked confused. The question made Missy pause. They hadn’t met Sara yet had they? Or had they? She couldn’t seem to stop herself from talking. “She’s the Red Jenny from Val Royeaux. Her and Madame De Fer.” At the thought of the Vivienne she shuddered. She had played a few times where she had not recruited Vivienne just because she hadn't cared for her attitude.  However she on a couple of occasions made it a point to try and win Vivienne’s approval. And she had found some of her story compelling. Still to meet her in person?

“No thanks.” She shuddered.

“No thanks for what?” Solas inquired his intense gaze meeting hers again.

“Um, Vivienne can be scary.” Again it seemed like she had no ability for her tongue to stop talking about her thoughts.

“And who is Vivienne?” Solas asked, confusion evident in his expression.

“Madam De Fer.” She replied as if that explained everything. “Though her and The Iron Bull do make a cute conversation for general party chat.” She continued on, finishing her glass of wine. She was definitely beyond buzzed now. It seems as if she had no filter at all anymore. Part of her brain was trying to warn her to shut up, but she couldn’t seem to focus on that part of her brain very easily.

“And who is this Iron Bull?” But Missy shook her head at him immediately.

“It’s THE Iron Bull. He thinks the “THE” makes it more intimidating I guess.” She glanced into the fireplace and then glanced back. The flames seemed to be dancing in there, almost as if they were laughing at her.

“Back to the conclave, where you hired by someone to kill the divine?” Solas said it so casually she barely registered the words.

“No, that was Corypheus.” He stilled completely at her words. “How do you know of that?” He grabbed her arms. “Who told you that information?”

She laughed all control or ability to worry about his reaction gone at this point, “Corypheus told me his name. ‘Behold, the Eldar One, the will that is Corypheus’, blah blah blah. He thinks too much of himself. And he’s really gross looking.” She sighed and then leaned back against the chair, it was so comfortable and she just wanted to sleep.

“Do you know how or why Corypheus did what he did.” Solas spoke softly this time.  His eyes could have been gazing through her they seemed to not focus on her.

Missy glanced up at him. “Because he’s an ass?” She yawned and closed her eyes and was almost immediately asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, what else does Missy know?


	7. Solas POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is Solas POV, because he's a confused puppy.

Solas POV

Solas continued to look down at the sleeping girl in the chair. The things she had said didn’t make sense in most cases, but the fact that she knew about Corypheus? Yet she hadn’t said anything about his involvement. Either because she hadn’t gotten to it yet or she didn’t know about it. Perhaps whatever had allowed her to know these other people she talked about, also let her know about Corypheus but not everything? It was something he would have to puzzle out.

Perhaps in the future he would have the opportunity to question her again, and would go directly to that puzzle. He determined that she wasn’t involved with the plot directly with Corypheus. She had not revealed anything to put Max at risk. This meant he could report that she seemed to be honestly who she portrayed herself as. Even if there were some odd things, they did not seem dangerous. Being a seer, if that was in fact what she was, could in fact be helpful. With that resolved in his mind, he gathered her up in his arms, she made no protest and in fact, seemed to be out completely. He carried her to the little bed they had brought in for her in his spare little room and laid her on top of it. He removed her boots and set them out of the way in case she had any negative reactions to the drink in the morning.

He put a blanket over her and then went back out into the other room. There he poured a cup of water and grabbed a vial from one of his shelves and placed both on the little table by her bed. Having finished seeing to his guest as it were, he went to his own bed to enter the fade for the night. That would help him to get things into perspective. At least he hoped it would.

*****

He was in his study when he felt the power. It shown brighter than the surrounding fade and the power given off could have come close to rivalling his own. He was not yet at his full power, he knew. Even so he only allowed a small fraction of what he did have be used for the inquisition, lest he rouse suspicion. He was about to look into this new anomaly when Wisdom showed up in his study.

The spirit portrayed her usual calm demeanor, as was her nature. “Your help is needed.”

He immediately followed her. He could sense they were heading toward the area of the fade where the surge had come from. There were few things that still surprised him in or out of the fade, but what he saw did give him a mild shock.  Sitting in the middle of a circle of demons was Missy. She was on her knees pulled up into a ball with her hands covering her head, as if trying to hide like a child. He set about putting a barrier around her and then chased the demons off before coming to her side and crouching next to her.

He looked at his old friend Wisdom. “Thank you for getting me.”

“This will be a hard adjustment for her, be patient.” Wisdom gave him a knowing smile and then left them.

He knelt down next to her gently touched her arm, “Missy, it’s ok, they’re gone.”

She gave a start at his touch but then relaxed under his touch and slowly raised her eyes. She had been crying. She slowly looked around and then threw her arms around his neck squeezing him. He just stayed there in the crouch letting her calm down. He could feel the tips of his ears getting warm from the embarrassment. He awkwardly patted her back, trying to give her a little comfort.

She must have sensed his discomfort because she pulled back abruptly. “I’m so sorry.” Her face was red and she couldn’t meet her eyes.

He gave a little chuckle at her hasty avoidance of his eyes. He stood up then and took her hand, “Come with me.”

She took his hand.  He took her to his favorite garden. The flowers were so vibrant and beautiful and he could tell she was impressed by the way she looked at everything.  

“Here you stand, in the fade, is this your first time here?” He was curious how magic could manifest so late in someone.

“This is the first time this has happened. How can I be a mage?” She sat down on a bench in the corner. “I don’t want to be a mage.”

He was shocked, how could anyone not want the power of magic at their disposal. But one look at her obviously distressed and despondent face was enough to make him believe she didn’t want it.

“What about being a mage is terrible?” He had to know what motivated her thoughts to help her. He came and sat next to her and waited for her to explain her thoughts.

“Mages are hated. All that power, the threat of demon possession, Templars can destroy you when you’re a mage. I don’t want to be hated any more than I already am.”  She was still afraid, her voice trembled a bit at the last bit.

Ah that made sense, she was afraid. He kept Wisdom’s parting words in mind as well. This was going to be a big adjustment. And he would need his patience, but he had no doubt he could teach her and show her how to love magic as much as he did.

“This is true, but all of these things can be mitigated, and non-mages face almost all the same issues, minus the demon possession of course, but even non-mages can get possessed if they are foolish enough.” He took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “I can teach you how to control and use it, if you let me. Let me show you how magic is not evil and not something that you should fear. Leave the fear for your enemies.”

“Why is this happening now, why didn’t it before?” She was thinking of when she first got to this world, but he thought she was talking about when she was younger. “Perhaps your physical trip to the fade unlocked something that you’ve always had?” Solas pondered.

It was possible. But to be so strong with power and not know it before was surprising. He would have to think on that.

She continued to avoid his eyes and instead seemed intent on staring at the flowers in front of her. “I don’t want to burden you.”

“It is not a burden to teach someone to love magic as much as I do.” He smiled at her.

She nodded. “Can you teach me enough to hide it then?” She had a slight shake in her voice.

“No Da’len, I will teach you so that you can flaunt your power at anyone that opposes you. You will not hide it. You will control it, you will master it.” He put his fingers under her chin and turned her head toward him so she would have to meet his eyes. “There is no shame in being a mage, and there is no shame in mastering magic. It is a journey, and it is one that you will grow to enjoy as you embark on it.” He promised.

She looked at him carefully and then looked away, staring off into the distance. He could tell she was thinking things through. He smiled when she finally came to her decision.

“Ok,” She agreed. “How do we do start.” “We have a limited amount of time left tonight. But let’s start with the basics. Hold your hand out.”

She did what he asked. He took her hand in his and then pushed some of his mana into her hand letting the frost form on it. “Think of heat in your hand, to keep it from getting too cold.” He instructed.

She did as he asked and soon had produced a flame that grew steadily bigger as she became more confident.  When she had played with the ball of flame in her hand for awhile he produced a small blast of ice to extinguish it.  

“That was impressive Da’len.” He nodded. “But we are out of time for now. The last thing I want to leave you with is this warning. Your magic will manifest on excitement. You need to control your emotions around people, or you will start manifesting magic, out of control. Anger and fear are the two biggest catalysts. Until you are used to controlling your power you will need to control them.” He waited for her to nod at him in acknowledgement. “Very good, and now it’s time to, wake up.”

He stayed there a minute after sending her back. “She has way more power than I have seen in a very long time.” He told Wisdom, who had rejoined him as soon as Missy had been woken up.

“Yes, she glows with powers not seen in millennia. Her essence is familiar. I look forward to seeing how this progresses.” With those cryptic statements Wisdom went back. And he brought himself awake.


	8. Chapter 8

Missy woke with a groan.   She couldn't remember much of anything after eating supper last night, until she had found herself in the fade with demons coming at her.  What a rude awakening that had been.  Of all the issues she could have faced, now she had to be a mage on top of it.  Sure most people would be ecstatic to have magic.  Missy was not one of them.  She just didn't know how she could learn something at this stage in her life that most people that had lived her and were aroudn their whole lives had trouble with.  Well it had happened, there was no use griping about it.  She sat up and winced at the pain that shot through her temple.  She must remember to never drink that much again, although she only remembered having two glasses.  She looked at the table next her little bed and noticed a vial with a liquid in it and a glass of water.  Solas must have realized she would have a hangover.  But she was not prone to just drink strange mixtures in vials without knowing what they were, so she took a sip of water, surprised at how cold it was.  

She could hear Solas moving out in the main room so she put her boots on and ran her hands over her hair to check if her braid had held.  It seemed in good enough condition so she grabbed the vial and the glass and walked out into the main room.  

Solas was packing a couple of books into one of his bags and gave her a quick glance noticing the vial in her hands.  

"Drink that and it will ease the headache I'm sure you must be suffering."  He went back to his task.

Having confirmation that it was indeed for her headache, Missy wasted no time in downing the contents of the vial and finishing the water.  She grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows, before turning toward the door and waiting for Solas to finish up.

“You will still need to use the bow until your training is such that you can use a staff and magic to fight and defend yourself.” Solas was now packing some vials into another pouch in the coat he was wearing.

Missy nodded and took a deep breath. “Well I guess today is the first day of the rest of my life.” She tried to smile at that, but then it faltered when she realized what else that implied. “We’ll have to tell Max won’t we?”

“Yes, we will wait until we get out of Haven and tell all of them. They all need to know, in case something happens.” He agreed.

When he was done gathering everything, he opened the door and looked around outside.  Satisfied by whatever he saw he motioned for her to join him.  They made their way through the mostly sleeping town to the stables. Horses had already been prepared for them.  They were not the best looking horses but she supposed they were adequate to get them to their destination.  She remembered Dennett's words when they meet him and this must be what he was referring to even though you didn't get any horses prior to that in the game.  At any rate it beat running everywhere like in the game.

Missy stayed in her own little world, looking around at the different vegetation as they changed elevation and rode down the mountain road.  She would have found it beautiful if she hadn't been worried about how the other would react when they finally told them about her magic.  It didn't seem like that long before they were stopping at midday to water the horse and let them eat as well as the travellers to eat as well. They were getting into lower elevations the snow was becoming more spotty and there were more tufts of grasses and even flowers poking through. She was looking forward to seeing summer weather again.

It was when she got down off the horse that she finally felt how not used to riding she was.  Her butt, back and thighs felt like they were on fire.  She tried rubbing her back to ease the tension but she knew she was just going to have to get used ot it.  She slowly walked over to where the rest of them were sitting down to eat around a small campfire.   It was just enough to heat some water and to warm up the bread that had been sent with.  Once they were all seated, Solas, being Solas, quickly brough up their new discovery as if it was the best news he had heard.  

“We discovered last night that our new friend Missy is a mage.” Max started coughing, he had just taken a bite. Varric was sitting next to him and started slapping him lightly on the back. Cassandra stood up and drew her sword and pointed it at her.

That was not what she was expecting but she bit back her fear, mindful of Solas’ warning.

“Seeker that won’t be necessary, she is no danger to you.” Solas told her calmly.

“How do we know she has not been possessed?” Cassandra sputtered. But she did lower her sword.

“Because I was there when her magic manifested, and because I was in the fade with her the entirety of the time she was there. I’ve already started training her, she understands the burden."

“Well then, that’s settled. Missy will learn to control her magic from Solas and we’ll continue on as a big happy family.” Max finally recoverd her from his coughing fit.

She looked at him then and he met her gaze with a twinkle in his eye. She smiled then. It was a relief that they didn’t hate her for it, particularly him, who she was getting fond of as a brother.

“Yes we will keep a close eye on the process.” Cassandra finally conceded, putting her sword away. “Well, now that’s all been settled, anyone know what we are facing in the Hinterlands?” Varric broke the tension.

“Mages, Templars, fighting, people in need, and apparently a chantry mother who needs me to come to her.” Max threw out.

“Also horses.” Missy threw in helpfully.

Max gave her an odd look but then continued on, grinning.  “Ah yes, we are to try and convince a Master Dennett to give the Inquisition his prized horses. Any thoughts on how likely that is to succeed?” he laughed at that.

“Surely he will understand our cause is necessary and do what he can to help out.” Cassandra reprimanded him.

“Yes, I’m sure your right Seeker. But if not, try not to stab his horses.” Varric couldn’t resist the dig. Cassandra for her part just huffed and focused on her biscuit and dried meat lunch.

“Varric that was mean. You should apologize.” Max nudged the dwarf.

“Alright, I suppose that was too harsh even for the Seeker. I’m sorry Seeker.” Varric gave in graciously at that.

“Apology accepted.” Cassandra didn’t give up her serious expression but she didn’t seem quite as angry.

Solas just kept eating and Missy thought it best to also eat and not get involved in the conversation. They ate in silence after that until it was time to leave. Missy was not looking forward to getting back on her horse but she gritted her teeth and mounted up. Her shoulder was also sore from shooting the bow so much yesterday as well.  It seemd there was going to be a whole new variety of aches and pains to get used to. They continued on into the foothills, Varric making most of the conversation between Max, Cassandra and himself. Solas rode next to her but she didn’t have anything to say, she was focused on trying not to be too uncomfortable at any one time. The thick leather of her pants helped but she could still feel every jarring step the horse took. She supposed it was just going to time to get used to it. At lease her horse was obviously a follower, because she hardly had to guide it, it walked where the others did and went as fast or as slow as they did, which was great because she was too busy constantly adjusting herself to focus on guiding the thing.

They finally stopped for the day as the grass started to get more common and the snow less so. She wasn’t sure how far they were from their destination but it was definitely warmer, going from the cold of Haven to this warmer climate. She got down off her horse and groaned. Her legs were so stiff from riding she didn’t know if she could take a step. Instead she leaned against her horse for support. What she wouldn’t give for a hot tub right now. She was glad to have put her hair up in the French braid, it helped keep it out of her face and it was still holding good. She wasn’t sure when she would next have a chance to wash it.  The idea of washing it in the stream without soap was not one she looked forward too.  She hadn't had any accessories to pack so she only had what she wore.  That was until Max came over to her with a bag that had been on his horse.

"I realized late last night that the only clothes you had were the ones you were wearing, so I spoke with Josephine and she had this bag prepared for you.  She said it should have everything you need for the road, and would help until you could get back to Haven."

As he had been talking to her she had tried to stand straight, she didn't want to look weak in front of him, but he must have noticed her flinch because he immediately gave her a sympathetic look.  

“You haven’t ridden this long before have you?” He asked as he helped her start to take the saddle off her horse and brush it down. The rest had quickly taken care of their horses so hers was the only one left.

“No, in truth I haven’t ridden anything like this for years. I think I used to ride when I was a kid because it wasn’t completely foreign to me. I’m used to walking everywhere.”

He grinned at her.  “You think it is bad now, wait until tomorrow morning.” His teasing was light and it was good that he was able to tease her. She had been afraid that once he learned of her magic, he might not think of her the same way again. But other than his initial surprise he had taken it in stride. He was going to make an excellent inquisitor.

She just swung at him with her hand playfully. He ducked and laughed at her. Then he helped her with her bags to the fire that the others had set up while she had been dealing with her horse. She sat down on a log that had been repurposed for seating, there was room on it for three or four people but she sat in the middle. She didn’t see Solas at the fire yet, but Cassandra and Varric were there. Cassandra was reading and Varric was polishing Bianca. She saw that 3 tents were already set up.

Max sat down next to her and started to pull some items out of one of the travel bags they had brought. He had a pan and some eggs and bacon. Breakfast for supper it would appear. He also pulled out a loaf of crusty bread. He set about mixing the eggs in the one pan and set it on to cook on the fire and added the bacon to another pan which he then set next to the eggs. Solas came back shortly after and sat on the other side of her.

“Wards have been set around the camp, if anyone approaches we will know about it with plenty of warning.” Solas leaned around her to tell Max.

“Excellent.” Max replied pulling the egg pan off the fire carefully.

“You’re just in time for supper.” He brought out 5 wooden plates and dished up some eggs and bacon on each plate. Then he tore off some bread for each one as well. Varric and Cassandra got up to come grab theirs and he handed her Solas’ to hand to him and then handed her a plate as well. Then he grabbed his plate and started eating. They ate in general silence, listening to the sound of the woods around them and the crackling fire. Solas was the first to finish. He used his magic to clean his plate and set it back by the bags.

Max laughed at him. “You want to get the pots too?”

“I can, once they have cooled sufficiently.” Solas agreed.

He was actually helping with manual domestic stuff with his magic. That was a side of him that was new. Missy wondered how many other things about him were not portrayed in the game and where subtle nuances that she might find out about him. No, she told herself, you are not to develop feelings for Solas, you know where that leads, they didn’t call it Solavellen hell for nothing. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t even realize they were all staring at her.

“What?” She asked, looking at them. “Did I miss something?”

Max laughed next to her and pointed at Solas. Solas for his part had to be blushing, that was definitely pink at the tip of his ears. Even Cassandra hid a chuckle behind her book. Varric just watched her as if waiting for her to do something.

Max finally stopped laughing long enough to tell her, “Solas just suggested that you and he should share a tent to make it easier for him to help you in the fade, and we all thought you might want a say in sharing a tent with him.”

“Oh. Um…” She blushed, she knew that he said it was easiest to find people in the fade if you were close to them physically. But she wasn’t sure about sharing a tent. Yet, she didn’t want to seem rude or ungrateful either.

“Ok.” She agreed.

“What Ok, just like that.” Varric looked at her with disbelief.

“Yes. I mean, it’s just to sleep and get into the fade so I can practice control. The last thing I want to do is accidentally set one of your tents on fire, without Solas there to prevent it.” When she put it like that she thought it sounded extremely logical.

Max nudged her side. “Uh huh, why might you set the tent on fire?” He winked at her. He actually winked at her. When she realized what he was insinuating, she elbowed him in the ribs hard enough to knock him off the log and he fell on his butt in the dirt. This caused Varric to chuckle at him as well, and even Solas smiled a bit.

“Ughhh. I’m going to go get my stuff together for bed. Suddenly the fade sounds good.” She got up, and then winced at the pain but made her way limping doggedly to the tent.

Solas got up as well. “I think she might need some healing, she must not be used to riding for so long.”

“Yeah, don’t heal her completely she needs to get used to it and calluses will help.” Max rubbed his rib before also heading toward his tent with Varric. Cassandra would be sleeping alone.

“Don’t stay up too late, Varric, you have 2nd watch, and we want to get an early start tomorrow. We should be at the forward camp at the end of the day tomorrow.” Cassandra took the first watch, Varric second and Max was taking third. They were giving Solas and Missy all night in the fade for training. Solas assured them by the time they would head back to Haven after the Hinterlands she would be ready to help stand watch with him.


	9. Chapter 9

“Again.”  Solas commanded.  She took aim at the dummy and let loose with flame at it.  The fireball hit the mark again.  She had yet to miss, so why was he making her repeat it like she wasn’t doing what she was supposed to.

 

“Do you notice that the power fluctuates, sometimes it’s more powerful than others?  Focus on the next three, and tell me which was most powerful.”  He ordered.

 

She did so the first one was a bit weak, she thought.  So for the second she focused on the flow of the magic through her and it was a much larger blast.  The third one felt similar but didn’t pack as much.

 

“The second one.” She admitted.

 

He nodded and agreed with her.  “And why do you think that is?”

 

She thought back to the feel of the flow of the magic and realized that it had tugged at her slightly.

 

She went back and threw another fireball trying to replicate that feeling, not quite.  The next one was better.  On the third one she felt it again and again that fireball was the most powerful.  She did it again.  When she was able to do it five times in a row he stopped her.

 

“That’s enough for now.”  He motioned for her to join him on a bench in the garden area that he had currently set up in the fade.  He waited for her to sit next to him.  “Every spell you cast should feel like it’s coming from your core, then when you want less impact, you simply reduce the draw on your core, when you need more, you draw more from your core.  Of course the more you draw the more mana is consumed and you will eventually run out.”

 

“We started with fire because it’s often easiest to make, everyone has experience with fire in everyday life.  Tomorrow night we will see if you are as adapt with ice.”  He continued.

 

She looked out over the beautiful vista in front of them and smiled.  “Being here is much easier to work on this.  Out there I’d be worried about being attacked or burning something important down.” 

 

“Ah yes, such as tents.”  He teased her.  He smiled when he saw her blush.  She had such a pretty blush.  He turned toward the horizon that he had set up on the area they were in.  He would not tell her that there were demons prowling around the barrier trying to find a way into get to her.  He didn’t want to scare her.

 

“Ass.”  She mumbled.  He laughed some more.  It had been a long time since he had simply teased someone in conversation.  It felt good to have a light banter.   They sat there in silence for a few minutes, but then he felt the familiar tingling in the back of his mind.

 

“It’s time to wake up Missy.  I’ll see you on the other side.”  With that he sent her through before quickly following her himself.  What he wasn’t prepared for was the feel of her body pressed against his, her leg hooked and in between his and her arm draped across his chest.  He could feel her body pressed against his side.  The feeling was not unpleasant.  But he could sense her starting to wake up and he wanted to try and save her the embarrassment.  Unfortunately Max chose that moment to open the tent flap and yell at them to get up.  He stopped when he saw the position they were in and then took in Solas’ helpless look.

 

“Well, it looks like you two got along.  Do I need to defend her honor?”  At the sound of his voice Missy woke up and realized where her hand and leg was and scrambled away.

 

“I’m sorry.”  She gasped.  She looked at Max in horror.  “Nothing happened.  I must have just gotten cold from the fade.” 

 

She buried her face in her blanket then as Max started laughing at them.  “Get ready you two.  We leave as soon as the tents are packed.”

 

He left them alone.  Missy couldn’t speak.  She was mortified.  She focused on folding up her blanket and bedroll and then putting on her jacket.  At least they had both been fully clothed when they had slept.  Not that it had stopped her from feeling his body under her arm and legs, or the heat that radiated off of him as she lay next to him.  She blushed again at where her thoughts were taking her.  Solas was also putting his stuff into his bags.  He turned and looked at her then, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes.  He could tell she was still blushing. 

 

“Missy, how do your legs feel?”  She started and looked at him.  She made to stand up and groaned at the pain in her thighs and hips.

 

“I thought they might hurt today.”  He pushed some soothing magic her way, and she instantly felt less stiff.  The chaffing on her inner thighs was still there, but the muscles in her back and butt, were less stiff and sore, so she was grateful.

 

“Thank you, Solas.”  She said at just above a whisper.   

 

“You are welcome.”  He acknowledged.  “If you are ready, let us get our horses packed and the tent down.  I know the Herald is eager to be on our way.”

 

She followed him out of the tent, to see Varric and Max’s tent was already down and Max was helping Cassandra with hers.  Varric was sitting by the remains of the fire drinking something and writing in a book of some kind.

 

She went to her horse that was calmly eating the remaining grass by where it was tied.  She managed to get her saddle on then realized she had no idea how to put it on.  The stable boys had saddled them on the way out.  She looked around for help, but only Solas was near her.

 

"Solas, can you help me saddle my horse, I haven’t done it before.” 

 

“Of course,” He came around and stood next to her to show her how to do it.  His fingers were strong and yet graceful.  She couldn’t help but notice as he was buckling the saddle into place that his hands were bigger than her own and his fingers longer.  Once the saddle was on she waited for the rest of them to be ready.  She wasn’t going to mount until they were ready to go.


	10. Chapter 10

They were ready to go right on Max’s schedule. But when she tried to mount she couldn’t get her leg high enough to get in the stirrup without her thighs screaming in pain. She tried a couple of times unsuccessfully. This time it was Max that came over and before she knew what he was doing, he lifted her up and sat her on the saddle and left her to get herself straightened out. He winked at her before got on his own horse. He and the Seeker led them out of camp with Varric close behind. Solas rode next to her at the back. It seemed today was going to be one embarrassing thing after another. She had thought it wouldn’t get worse then the scene in the tent but then having to have Max lift her into the saddle had topped it off. She spent as much of the ride as possible quietly trying to look small.

 

She soon drifted into thoughts about the Hinterlands that she could remember from the game. She realized that the Max she was currently with was similar to the Max she had played to have the romance with Cassandra. Her Max had been kind and nice to everyone and always chose the nicest options when picking from the available. But he was also a skilled warrior. She had witnessed firsthand his kindness and willingness to help. She wondered if he would pursue Cassandra. It would be wonderful to see the Seeker in love with Max. She immediately shut down that train of thought.

 

She was so wrapped up on her thoughts she was started when Solas cleared his throat next to her. She glanced over at him. He seemed to be waiting for something from her.

 

“I’m sorry, I was distracted. Did you say something?” She tried to sound as normal as possible. She could feel the blush rising on her cheeks again.

 

“I asked if you were feeling ok or if you would like me to suggest a break? The Herald seems to think it would be best to keep riding until we reach the base camp which will be in another three or four hours.” He held out something to her and she could see it was a pouch of some kind and water skin. She took both and took a quick drink and then opened the pouch to see some kind of dried meat inside. She took a piece and started chewing on it.

 

“I could ask him that we break to stretch our legs or see to other needs.” He smiled a little wicked smile in her direction. If she didn’t know better she would swear he was teasing her.

 

“Will it be easier if I just stay on the horse, and deal with it until we get to our destination?” She pondered. “I think when I get off; I am not going to want to get back on.”

 

“That is most likely. Very well, but if you need to take a break please let us know.” He then continued on in the silence.

 

She glanced over to see if he was just meditating or just looking around and was surprised when she saw instead he was reading a book.

 

“Isn’t it hard to focus on the words when riding?” The genuine curiosity in her voice caused him to sigh and look up at her.

 

“I have compensated for the jarring motion.” He pointed at a couple of spots on sleeves that he was wearing. She looked and at first didn’t see anything different but then she noticed a spot on his sleeve that seemed to glow with a hint of magic.

 

“Oh, I see.” She nodded and went back to looking around on the path.

 

She wanted to ask him more but didn’t want to disturb him. She was saved from more silence by Max holding up his horse and coming back even with her other side. The road had gotten wider when they had been at the last intersection and so really all four of them could ride abreast if they were so inclined. He smiled at her with a knowing smile.

 

“What?” She asked, becoming self-conscious at his gaze.

 

“How do you feel?” Max had a sly grin on his face.

 

“Right now I’m fine.” She managed. She knew that it was only because she was still in the same position. As soon as she was going to have to get off the horse, that’s when she would no longer be fine.

 

“Take it slow when we get to our destination.” He cautioned. That seemed to be the extent of the conversation until he turned back to her.

 

“Leliana mentioned that when she came to question you, you were singing a song better than most bards.” He grinned. “I’ve heard many bards through the years; care to share so I can judge for myself?”

 

The color bloomed in her cheeks. She was used to performing but she wasn’t on stage and there were no lights to block the view of individuals.

 

He smiled encouragingly. “Come on it’s just among friends here.” She lowered her head with resignation. If she had learned anything about him in the short time she had known him, it was that he could be persistent when he wanted something.

 

She was ready to start the Sound of Silence, because she knew it so well but then a thought hit her, they were travelling and it was a rite of passage for kids on long car trips.

 

“Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around, ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall.” She started in on the next line, quickly glancing over at Max. She had stayed in a very nice tone for it she thought.

 

“Really?” He scoffed at her.

 

She shrugged. “It seemed appropriate.” She grinned then, “Or there’s this one,”

 

She made a dramatic flourish with her hands since it didn’t seem to matter if her hands were on the reins or not. "This is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend. Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was, and they'll continue singing it forever just because...This is the song that never ends...” She kept it up two more times before the laughter took her at the look on his face. Even Cassandra was smirking back at her from a further bit ahead. Varric was laughing, she could see his shoulders shaking. She also glanced around at Solas and though she saw a twitch at the corner of his lips.

 

Max for his part just ground his teeth. She felt sorry for him; she hadn’t meant to make him the butt of her joke. “I’m sorry, Max. I will sing for you at one of the camps, where there isn’t a horse underneath me making me bounce all over and not too many people to overhear to make me too nervous, ok?”

 

He immediately grinned and stuck out his hand toward her, “Deal.” She shook it and then they continued on. She started giggling when she heard him humming ninety-nine bottles of beer. It wasn’t too long after that, now that the sun was starting to set; they reached the camp just above the crossroads. Max, Cassandra, Varric and Solas all got off their horses and started forward. Missy groaned softly to herself and got down as best she could. Her legs felt like jelly, she leaned against her horse to help her stay upright. Unfortunately or fortunately as the case may be, it wasn’t until she was on the ground that nature’s urges caught up to her.

 

She tried to get Cassandra’s attention but the Seeker was busy with Max and the others taking to a dwarf. Scout Harding she presumed. Not having any idea what to do, she just swayed there until they were done.  It was Solas that seemed to notice her pained expression.  

  
"Seeker, I believe our friend here needs to relieve herself, perhaps you could show her where best to do that in this camp, since she is likely used to being on her own and doesn't want to be rude." Solas sent her a quick nod at her thank you and then proceeded to unpack his horse.

 

"Come with me," it was a command like most things the Seeker said.  So Missy followed the Seeker into an area just behind the tents where the latrines had been dug.  She tried to ignore the pain every step caused by focusing on where she was walking.  The relief at taking care of her personal needs was short lived as the fire shot down her legs when she tried to stand.

 

Cassandra ended up having to help her up.  The woman gave her a sympathetic look that softened her otherwise harsh features.  "It will take some time to ease that pain, walking around and not sitting should help.  Make sure you stay within the perimeter of the camp."

 

"Thank you Cassandra."  She smiled at the other woman, who nodded back at her before leaving to go see to her own things.


End file.
